A quick Announcement, Fellow FootBall Fanatics!!I'm currently reorganizing as I convalesce, and plan to start cranking out Reports the morning after SuperBowl 48.And I intend to Double Down on Productivity, cranking out 2 Reports a day, if I can sustain that pace!!Grateful Thanks to all of you who've honored my Site with your Visits!!I shall continue to strive to produce Content Worthy of your Time!!

I distinguish between HalfBacks and FlexBacks, with the latter being my term for HalfBacks who considerably more than a complementary or outlet Aspect to the Passing Game. Mind you: It's sometimes extremely difficult to try to distinguish how I should characterize a given HalfBack. Scouting is a speculative Game, even as it is, and some HalfBacks might prove far more ~ or far less ~ dynamic at The Next Level than I anticipate. Yet I think it's a crucial distinction to at least attempt to make, as the two types have considerably different Impacts on the Field of Battle.

These are the Attributes I place greatest Emphasis on, in evaluating FlexBacks:

Power. Above all: Core Power. Upper body Strength is important, but lower body Strength, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. An HalfBack's Capacity to break Tackles is more about Core Power than anything else.

Agility. Acceleration, Fluidity, and Ricochet. Long Speed is all well and good, but at the end of the day, it's Gravy. What wins Championships is Moving The Chains. And Moving The Chains is accomplished far better by guys who exhibit the Agility ~ and the Power ~ to consistently pick up 5 and sometimes 10 Yards at a time.

Processing Speed. Field Vision. That ethereal Capacity to Rapidly Read & React to the constantly transforming Tactical LandScape...and to foresee and envision Lanes developing before they actually do.

Blocking. Having an HalfBack who doesn't Block effectively is like having 10 Men on the Field of Battle.

Receiving. Even though FlexBacks are distinguished ~ at least in my fevered Imagination ~ by a certain Receiving Prowess, or at least the Potential for it, it won't usually be realistic to convey the depth of Analysis with their Receiving Capacities as I would with WideOuts, so I'll summarize the best of my Ability.

It's been very gratifying to see Offensive Tackles finally get the Respect that they have so long richly deserved.

These are the Aspects of their Games that I place greatest emphasis on, when evaluating Offensive Tackles:

Power. Above all: Core Power. Upper body Strength is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body strength in the world still fails if you can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables a Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing Game. And those Players who invest the time and effort to develop superior Core Power are far likelier to enjoy sustained good Health and stay on the Field.

Agility. Lateral Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering out there.

Combat Skills. Mechanics. Launch Velocity, Paw Power, and Technique.

Intangibles. Diagnostic Capacity, Processing Speed, and Motor. How effectively he masters Spatial Diagnostics & Angles, how rapidly he recognizes and implements Blocking Schemes based on changing Defensive Tactics, and of course: Drive. How badly he wants it. These are of course difficult things to assess, but it's crucial to at least try to.

Greg Robinson Scouting Report

Power. Magnificent.

Agility. Excellent Lateral Velocity, incredible for a man his size. Extraordinary Fluidity. Really, really impressive. And Outstanding Acceleration to the Second Level or the Flank. Extremely impressive Burst for such an huge guy.

Combat Skills. Mediocre. Needs a lot of Work, here. In all fairness, though, he's only two Years starting.

Intangibles. Mediocre Processing Speed, but of course he's relatively new to the Job. Outstanding Motor.

Greg Robinson Prospectus

When evaluating Greg Robinson as a potential Left Tackle at The Next Level, it's vital to keep in mind that Auburn's Offense rarely deployed Robinson in a way where effective evaluation was possible, due to their Offense being so emphatically Run Intensive. Not only does this obviously indicate a lack of applicable "Left Tackle" Tape, as opposed to the wealth of delicious "Right Tackle" Tape of him tearing through Defenses in the Run Game, the Scouting difficulty is compounded by his resulting lack of experience and his consequently raw and unrefined Game.The Tape shows that he's got precious little experience taking on Edge Rushers on obvious Passing Downs. And on such few occasions as this has transpired, his Mechanics and FootWork were every bit as raw and unrefined as one might expect them to be. Compounding this dearth of Tape that can actually be effectively applied to a Left Tackle Evaluation with the fact that what little Tape there is is frightening, and, furthermore, with the fact that at 6045, Robinson is considerably shorter than what many Teams consider the optimum Height for a Left Tackle, it'll be very interesting to see if his currently skyrocketing Draft Stock takes on water over the next few Months.I don't believe that his Draft Stock has peaked, yet. I think that before all is said and done, some folks'll be projecting him to go #01, overall...But I also believe that his Stock'll slide considerably at some point.Personally, I think it's terrific that he's only 6045. I believe that far too much emphasis is placed on Left Tackles's Heights. In fact, I believe that the taller they are, the more likely they are to have or to develop both problems getting consistently into an crouch 80 times a Game that'll allow them to play effectively against men far shorter...and health problems as a direct result of wear and tear that is exacerbated by this abuse.And I'm not concerned either about the lack of Tape or its frightening quality.Scouting, as I am so fond of saying, is all about Trajectory, and I believe that Greg Robinson's composite Skill Set, which is highlighted by phenomenal Athletic Agility and utterly magnificent Core Power, is that of an incredibly talented Offensive Tackle, one who, once he develops, has SuperStar written all over'm.

Please Note: This and all Evaluations issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men of Good Will!!

I've come to believe that any HalfBack that doesn't bring a Passing Game element to the BattleField is...incomplete.

Hence, the term "FlexBack" ~ although quite cool, I believe!! ~ short-circuits the Evaluation Process.

As to how I break them down, I expect that the terms are pretty self-explanatory:

PowerBacks ~ HalfBacks who do their best Work between the Tackles..SpeedBacks ~ HalfBacks who do their best Work outside the Tackles.

The PowerBack prototype would be about 5115/220 or so.The SpeedBack prototype would be about 5010/200 or so.

Those are gross oversimplifications, of course, and many HalfBacks will manifest Attributes of both styles. Indeed, Power and Speed ~ better yet: Agility ~ are crucial to the Success of either kind of HalfBack. But I believe that it advances the discussion and better serves my Fellow FootBall Fanatics if I make an effort to distinguish between types.

This is how I break things down, when evaluating all HalfBacks:

Power: Above all: Core Power. Upper body Power is important, but lower body Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. An HalfBack's Capacity to break Tackles is more about Core Power than anything else.

Agility: Launch Velocity, Fluidity, Acceleration, and Ricochet. Long Speed is all well and good, but at the end of the day, it is Gravy. What wins Championships is Moving The Chains. And Moving The Chains is accomplished far more consistently by the guys who exhibit the Agility ~ and the Focus ~ to consistently pick up 5 and sometimes 10 Yards at a time.

Blocking: Having an HalfBack who doesn't Block effectively is like having 10 Men on the Field of Battle. Most HalfBacks just coming out'f College are mediocre Blockers, but this is a crucial Aspect of the Game that they'll need to master.

Receiving: Whether he be a PowerBack or a SpeedBack, an HalfBack that can effectively present a genuine Threat in the Passing Game dramatically increases his Team's Options on any given Play. The more dynamic the Threat, the more valuable to'is Team on the Field of Battle, whether he's just slipping out'f the BackField or splitting out Wide.

Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:

Power

* Core Power is most of it. Tyrannosaurus Rex would've made an Hell of an HalfBack.* Torso Power doesn't hurt, though.

Agility

* Launch Velocity* Fluidity* Acceleration* Ricochet* Long Speed

Processing Speed

* That ethereal Capacity to foresee and envision Lanes developing before they actually do.

Blocking

* Power* Agility* Combat Skills* Processing Speed* Motor

Receiving

* Separation* Catch Point Capacity* Navigation

Zach Bauman Scouting Report

Power ~ Adept. No Beast, but he can take an Hit and still keep plowing away. Breaks a few Tackles.Agility ~ Phenomenal. Bauman commands explosive Ricochet out'f his Breaks and sweet serpentine Fluidity.Processing Speed ~ Excellent. Bauman seems to be always thinking 3 Cuts ahead.Blocking ~ Adequate and with terrific Potential. Excellent Core Power, though his Mechanics need Work. Receiving ~ Deadly. Tremendous Hands, an accomplished Router, and spectacular after the Catch.

Zach Bauman Prospectus

When I read all the Rave Reviews coming out of the Shrine Game Practices, I had to see what all the fuss was about...And I must say that this kid is absolutely everything he's cracked up to be and more.It's not easy to find Tape on the LumberJacks, but I found a couple of complete Games to review, and I was able to study Bauman's Game extensively. And what I saw was astonishing. 1000 miles below the Radar, out in the WasteLands of Northern Arizona, Zach Bauman has been displaying an exhilarating fusion of Power, Field Vision, and Agility.The gutters are littered with the carcasses of College FootBall Heroes who racked up thousands of Yards against inferior competition, only to get stomped into Oblivion when they tried to make it at The Next Level. But Zach Bauman is different. The entire South Dakota State Game ~ a PlayOff Game, mind you, and Bauman's College Finale ~ is essentially a Zach Bauman HighLight Reel. There were so many Moves, so many sweet, explosive Ricochets that I was rendered dizzy and dazed with dazzled Delight.And that was a day that saw the LumberJacks get their asses beat, 26-7.Bauman is simply amazing: He's a tough, powerful Runner between the Tackles who'll consistently Move The Chains for you, and in the open field his extraordinary Field Vision and phenomenal Agility render him sensational.And on top of all that, he's a strong, steady Blocker and an explosive, dynamic Weapon in the Passing Game.Zach Bauman commands nothing less than SuperStar Potential, Ladies & Laddies.

﻿﻿Yank Rank: StudHorse ~ SuperSleeper!!﻿

Consensus Market Value

﻿UFA﻿

Yankee Grade

﻿2nd/3rd Round﻿

Please Note: This and all Evaluations issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men of Good Will!!

It's become clear to me this Year that this Great Game's incessantly evolving Strategic LandScape has necessitated that I produce fresh NomenClature to apply to a Role that Percy Harvin has pioneered and which I believe has or at least ought to have a significant Future: That of the SlotBack who takes an active hand in the Running Game.

This is as opposed to FlexBacks, who of course are HalfBacks who take an active hand in the Passing Game.

And this is also opposed to the traditional Wes Welker sort of SlotBack or other "Wide Receivers" who make occasional Cameo Appearances in the Running Game on End Arounds and Reverses and such.

Mind you: I believe that failing to actively include these aforementioned SlotBacks in the Running Game in the first place to be foolish, and I further believe that they are, to a man, capable of doing so and thus significantly enhancing their Teams's Tactical Options, Strategic Capacities, and, thus, Mercuriality.

"Unpredictability", to you Earthlings. Yeah, I just made that up.

As such, one could make an Argument that FlexWings are all SlotBacks, and that the term is thus Redundant.

But of course it is not: As HalfBacks could be defined as FlexBacks who don't pose significant Threats in the Passing Game, so can FlexWings be described as SlotBacks who are too small in stature either to Block reliably or indeed to play a full slate of Snaps...but whose dynamic Utility nevertheless demands they get Snaps.

Perhaps there would've been no Role in the NFL for such diminutive Players, in Years Past.

But with the NFL rapidly evolving towards Offenses that spread things out and force Defenses to do the same, and with Defenses being increasingly compelled by evolving Offenses not only to deploy more Pass-Oriented Tactics, but to take on an increasingly Pass-Oriented Defensive Mentality...Opportunity for Small, Spry Backs abounds.

As with many Roles, there is of course some overlapping with other Roles, and I'm quite sure that most who read these words will roll an eye or two at me, which is of course your Privilege!!

But I do greatly enjoy exploring the Possibilities of this Great Game, and it seems to me that there is an enormous Strategic Opportunity, here: Defensive Tactics have out of necessity responded to the latest changes in Regulations to become, once again, both Smaller in Personnel and more Passing Oriented in their Schematics.

As such, it seems to me that an Hybrid SlotBack ~ a FlexWing, if you will ~ who takes an active hand in the Running Game and is in fact very effective or even dangerous when doing will provide a considerable Strategic Advantage to his Team: Defenses that are developed and deployed to oppose Offenses that include a prominent SlotBack will naturally be both Smaller in Personnel and more Passing Oriented in their Schematics, and thus placed at a Strategic ~ Personnel Development ~ and Tactical ~ Schematics & PlayCalling Disadvantage.

As with all Strategic & Tactical Innovations, the Advantage would be most acute during the first few Years.

These are the Attributes that I'll be looking at, when evaluating FlexWings: